English
Pronunciation: B and P Sounds

B
and P are made with the lips closed. B is a soft sound. P is a stronger
sound with the air pushing out. In everyday speech, the difference is
slight. Usually B or P will be understood based on the context or
overall meaning.

For most people, the difference
between B and P is most noticeable as the first or last letter of a
common word. Use the word lists below to practice making two distinct
sounds. After speaking these words, try the B and P
reading practice.

Practice Reading each word pair. Make sure your B's and P's are
different.

1. A. big

2.
A. bent

3. A. bin

4. A. bill

5. A. best

6. A. bay

7. A. bear

8. A. robe

9. A. rib

10. A. mob

11. A. cab

12. A. gab

13. A. bower

14. A.
brick

15. A.
blight

16. A.
blank

17. A.
blush

18. A. bound

19. breach

20.
brim

B. pig

B. pent

B. pin

B. pill

B. pest

B. pay

B.
pear

B. rope

B. rip

B. mop

B. cap

B. gap

B. power

B. prick

B. plight

B. plank

B. plush

B. pound

B. preach

B. prim

Practice Tip:
You can also use this list repeatedly with an instructor. Your
instructor writes down a list of answers, then speaks the words to you.
You write your answers and see if they match. You can also reverse this
to check your pronunciation: you write down a set of answers, then
speak, and see if your instructor was able to hear you correctly.